Fearne Cotton has ditched her wedding ring as she was spotted out and about following her sad announcement of her marriage breakdown.
The 43-year-old took to social media on Friday to share the sad news that she and Jesse Wood were separating after 10 years of marriage. The couple share two children: 11-year-old son Rex and eight-year-old daughter Honey while Fearne is also a stepmum to Jesse's older kids from a previous relationship: Arthur, 21, and Lola, 8.
They appeared to be the idyllic blended family, with the TV presenter still wearing her wedding ring in photographs uploaded to social media only days ago. And while the split appeared to have blindsided not just fans but also those who knew the pair, the Happy Place podcaster hinted at signs there was trouble in paradise even years earlier.
Taking to her Instagram stories, the radio star told her 3.9 million followers: "It is with a heavy heart that | let you all know that Jesse and I are ending our marriage. Our priority has been, and will always be, our children. We please ask that you respect the privacy of our family at this time."
Celebrity Juice star Fearne had been married to Jesse, 48, since 2014. Both had even posted to mark their 10th wedding anniversary in July, sharing a sweet snap showing them back in their wedding attire, holding hands in their beautiful garden. They met while partying in Ibiza in 2011 - when Fearne, aged 30, was on a girls' trip following her split with ex Peter Brame - with the couple sharing their first date on the island, which Fearne later revealed consisted of 'drinking vodka and smoking cigarettes'.
But it appears their ways soon changed as they navigated parenthood and focused on raising a blended family, with their roles and priorities shifting. One of Fearne's friends has reportedly said that a personal change in Fearne could have been the catalyst for the change in their marriage.
As reported by the Mail, a source said: "They are a lovely couple. But Fearne has changed a lot since they got together. She was a kind of rock chick when they first met, and now she has turned into a bit of a hippy-dippy therapy type." According to the paper, a friend said that Fearne wasn't "that cool" in her younger years, but said that when she started dating a "Rolling Stones nepo baby", their loved ones "thought they would be together forever".
Jesse, a recovering alcoholic, is now completely sober, while Fearne's brand Happy Place promotes clean eating, yoga and mindfulness, and also has an alcohol-free annual festival, Happy Place, held at Cheshire's Tatton Park. Further tweaks to their former rock 'n' roll lifestyle came when they turned vegan together in 2021.
A far cry from her hedonistic heyday, Fearne recently revealed she now prefers to be tucked up in bed by 9.30pm and sometimes struggled to find time to be romantic with her husband. Speaking to Alan Carr in 2021 on his Life's A Beach podcast, Fearned admitted: "Sexy time hasn't happened for so long in terms of me going anywhere. I think for me and my husband, booking into the local Travelodge would make us feel sexy at the moment."
She explained: "We have had no time alone because of the ridiculous pandemic but before all this craziness, Paris was our go-to. Not every weekend, maybe once a year. But it felt well special because it's so chic and beautiful. It just has an air of something gorgeous, doesn't it? I love it there."
There has been speculation for some time over the couple, with Fearne admitting that she and Jesse had a two-hour screaming match in public before both breaking down in tears. Conflicts over work schedules and a reportedly absent sex life also contributed to the breakdown of their marriage, with Fearne admitting it all got too much at one point.
In 2019, Fearne wrote in her Red Magazine column: "One blustery and grey day, this culminated in a screaming match in our local park, which lasted about two hours until we both broke and cried. Luckily, my husband is the most emotionally literate person, so we can be completely vulnerable in front of one another. In the midst of this gargantuan row, I think we both wondered where the love had gone and worried that it might not come back."
Fearne often commented on their relationship in her column, telling her fans: "Love takes hard work - and no one wants to hear that." She continued: "This year, Jesse and I hit a rough patch - he was away, touring relentlessly, [with his band, Reef]. I was trying to keep my own career going while looking after our kids and we were both desperately clinging on to our marriage."
More recently, Fearne told listeners of her Happy Place podcast that tensions were high with her and her ex. She told fans: "I am a very fiery person, and Jesse can also be quite fiery. We’ve certainly argued in front of the kids. Most parents have at some point. It’s not regular but we have definitely had a pop at each other in front of them — and you don’t feel good about it after."
Fearne has since been flooded with messages of support, with fans quick to rally around after she continued to share content on her socials, including a post where she said she had been "focusing on my health and recovery recently." She added, "It feels especially relevant now—taking steps to look after yourself during busy times is so important!"
One fan wrote: "Oh beautiful Fearne - I have always seen such sadness in your voice for a few years. It's sad when a marriage comes to an end (especially when you have children). I hung on for a few years longer than I should have for the sake of my children and wanting a perfect family life). But 10 years on their dad is happy and my spark returned.
"I hope your spark returns. We only get one life to be as happy as we can. I’m now on my third marriage - only one month but I’m at such a happy point of my life (hell I’m 52) it’s hard being a single parent but you have amazing friends and family around you. You’re amazing. I wish you love and luck."
Another urged: "There is warm sunshine on your horizon. Allow your family and friends to hug you lots, laugh with them, cry with snot bubbles with them, it’s their turn to hold you and listen. You are such a strong, talented and inspiring woman, Fearne. You’ve got this." A third simply said: "Sending big hugs & best wishes to you at this sad time."
A fourth follower commented: "My parents divorced when I was 6 and I still believe that however sad it is and however hard you both work at it, staying together for the sake of the kids is not always the answer. The atmosphere and association with a 'bad marriage' can bring such a negative attitude towards what relationships should be about. It took me until my 40s to find my husband, when I met him I knew. Do what you need to do for you xx."